Animal-trap.



PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907. J. GA'SSV ANIMAL TRAP APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20,1906. I

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I w A TTORNE 1 3 WITNESSES JOSEPH GASS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed September 20, 1906. Serial No. 335.472.

T0 or whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH GAss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon,have invented a new and useful Animal- Trap, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates generally to animaltraps, and particularly tosuch traps as are intended for catching beaver,

The trapping of beaver is attended with a number of difficulties. In thefirst place, the animals sometimes spring a delicate trap by throwingwater on the releasing-pan with their tails; in the second place, abeaver sometimes springs a trap by rubbing its belly over thereleasing-pan, and, in the third place, the young beavers spring thetraps at times and are caught before they are of any value, for whichreason the trappers lose in the long run by destroying a large number ofbeavers at an early age.

The objects of the present invention are to improve the construction ofanimal-traps in such manner as to prevent them from being released byanything except the foot of a fullsized animal.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts andin the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofthe following claims without departing from the spirit of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages. I

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, thefigure is a perspective view of a trap constructed in accordance withthe present invention.

The im rovements of the present invention have een illustrated inconnection with an ordinary form of animal-trap comprising a base-plate1-, with which is pivotally connected a pair of jaws 2, which areadapted to be thrown closed by means of springs 3 and which are held inolpened position by means of a pawl 4, pivotal y mounted upon one end ofa cross-piece 5 and adapted to be engaged by a releasing device or pan6, which is also pivotally connected with the cross-piece 5 in an oldand well-known manner.

In carrying out the present invention a trap of the general characterabove described is provided with a skeleton guard, (indicated generallyby A,) which surrounds the releasing-pan 6 in such manner as to preventthe same from being operated by anything except the foot of an animal.The guard A, which is detachably secured 'to the trap in any suitablemanner, so that it can be removed whenever it is desired to use the trapin the ordinary manner, preferably consists of end cross-pieces 7, whichextend under the base-plate 1 and are detachably secured thereto bymeans of brackets 8, having readily-removable bolts or screws. Thebrackets 8 constitute the sole means of connection between the guard Aand the base-plate 1 of the trap, so that by removing said brackets theentire guard can be easily and quickly detached from the trap.

Extending upward from each of the end cross-pieces 7 is an approximatelyU-shaped loop 9, the size of which is sufi icient to cause it to be outof contact with the jaws even when they swing into closed position underthe action of the springs 3. The loops 9 at their lower ends are formedwith inwardlybent flanges 10, which rest upon the lower side bars 11 ofthe trap and are suitably bolted thereto, said side bars 11 beingarranged in parallelism with the base-plate 1. In addition to the lowerside bars 11 the guard A is provided with a pair of upper curved sidebars 12, which are connected at their opposite ends with the loops 9, asshown, so as to form a barrier or fence around theTeleasingpan 6. Theloops 9, together with the curved side bars 12, prevent an animal fromreleasing the trap by rubbing lightly over the releasing device 6 andrender it necessary for an animal to place its foot squarely upon thereleasing device in order to spring the trap. For the twofold purpose ofpreventing the trap from being released either by means of water flungupon it by the tail of a beaver or by a young beaver a fiat spring 14 issecured to one of the side bars 11 on the side of the guard opposite thepawl 4, said spring 14 being adapted to bear u wardly against the undersurface of the re easing device 6 with suificient pressure to preventsaid releasing device from being moved downward by anything except thefoot of a full-grown animal.

It will be obvious that the spring 14 is connected with the guard A andwill therefore be removable from the trap when said guard is detached.

The improved trap of the present invention skeleton guard surroundingthe releasing detachable guard surrounding the releasing deis strong,simple, durable, and inexpensive in construction, as well as thoroughlyefiicient in 0 eration.

hat is claimed is 1. A trap having a releasing device, and a vice.

2. A trap comprising swinging jaws, a releasing device, and a skeletonguard surrounding the releasing device, the ends of the jaws projectingthrough the ends of the guard.

3. A trap comprising swinging jaws, a releasing device and a guard atopposite sides of the jaws and surrounding the releasing device, theends of the jaws projecting through the ends of the guard.

4. A trap having swinging jaws, a releasing device, a skeleton guard atopposite sides of the jaws and surrounding the releasing device, theends of said jaws projecting through the ends of the guard.

5. A trap having a releasing device, a device, and a spring carried bythe guard and acting upon the releasing device, said spring beingdetachable with the guard.

6. A trap having a pair of'jaws, a releasing device for controlling saidjaws, and a guard surrounding said releasing device and jaws andcomprising a pair of end loops and apair of side bars.

7. In a trap, the combination with a baseplate, a pair of jaws pivotallymounted on said base-plate, a pair of springs for operating said jaws, across-piece, a paw pivotally connected with said cross-piece and areleasing device pivotally connected with said crosspiece and adapted tobe engaged by said pawl for holding said aws in opened position, of aguard comprising a pair of end crosspieces, brackets detachably securedto said end cross-pieces and embracing said baseplate, lower side barsconnecting said end cross-pieces, approximately U-shaped loops securedto said end cross-pieces and lower side bars, curved upper side barsconnecting said loops, and a spring secured to one of said lower sidebars and bearing upward against the lower surface of said releasingdevice, for substantially the purposes set forth.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH GASS.

Witnesses:

M. B. KEEFER, T. M. LEABo.

